How to catch a fly without chasing it?

[nedz]

And this happened to be my incredibly smart 10,000th post.

Given that the Forum has just over 10,000,000 posts, this means that you are 0.1% of the playground

[noparlpf]

There's a trick to swatting flies. Swat slowly.

But the fly moves so fast? How will swatting slower help?

Flies seem like they're able to detect your hand and fly away at the last instant because you're moving it so fast. They have tiny hairs that feel the breeze caused by your hand. Millions of years of evolution have taught them to move when they feel the breeze. The solution is to move your hand so slowly that there's no breeze whatsoever.

This doesn't help if the fly won't stand still of course, but when you do catch him unawares you'll have a pretty good chance of doing something about him.

Or, just swat faster than the fly can react. If you crack the wall with your rolled-up newspaper, well, hopefully your mum/dad/guardian/landlord will understand.

[dehro]

fly-swatters still are the best thing against flies.
one more trick to using one is to try intercept-courses..and to keep swatting after your first strike, should you miss.. you're likely to catch it, eventually. also, friends, room-mates and relatives will think you're trying to impersonate a retarded ninja and you'll have a new story to laugh about.
you've already solved the issue, or I would have said, since you're in Germany, go to the nearest OBI. they have an entire section of shelves devoted to pest control items.. I know because I work for the company that sells those items to them. amongst the rest, are a fly traps for outdoors, a couple of items for indoors, and fly swatters.

@blue ghost...as for mosquitos.. the tiger-mosquito is a bit of a bitch and virtually nothing but chemical products works against them. regular mosquitos that fly mostly at night can be caught by electric mosquito traps, the ones with a blue-ish neon light acting as bait..they've existed for decades and your local hardware store should have a few models, depending on where you live..
or you can keep them at bay with stuff you smear on your skin or with scented candles and suchlike.. not everything works but I'm not familiar with what you have available in your parts so can't give more advice.

otherwise, for killing mosquitoes like a boss, this:

Spoiler

Show

[Surrealistik]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rbUH_iVjYw

[Scarlet Knight]

On a related note, anyone have any tips for catching mosquitoes? Evil little buggers...

"The wings of a fully grown male mosquito can in fact fetch anything up to point eight of a penny on the open market."

[Yora]

I assumed tiny things that they are, that they only live for a few days, so this summer when one was in my room, I decided to just let it bite me twice and then it dies by itself.
Wrong. Those tiny bastards can live for months.

[dehro]

I assumed tiny things that they are, that they only live for a few days, so this summer when one was in my room, I decided to just let it bite me twice and then it dies by itself.
Wrong. Those tiny bastards can live for months.

also, they breed

[nedz]

also, they breed

And can carry diseases: Malaria, West Nile Fever, Yellow Fever, ...

[dehro]

And can carry diseases: Malaria, West Nile Fever, Yellow Fever, ...

not everywhere..and we have pills and injections for that.

[Asta Kask]

I assumed tiny things that they are, that they only live for a few days, so this summer when one was in my room, I decided to just let it bite me twice and then it dies by itself.
Wrong. Those tiny bastards can live for months.

Flamethrower.

[noparlpf]

Flamethrower.

Still think my laser idea would be cooler.

[dehro]

Flamethrower.

look at what is spoilered in post nr 33

[HairyGuy4]

If you live in the country, and own guns, flies make excellent target practice. Just don't shoot at them when they're still flying. Or when they're on your wife's book. She gets mad about that.

[Kelb_Panthera]

If you live in the country, and own guns, flies make excellent target practice. Just don't shoot at them when they're still flying. Or when they're on your wife's book. She gets mad about that.

If your wife's ever lost a finger to a .45 because you missed a fly......

Just messin' with you.

Seriously though, bug zapper. Just 'ware flying squirrels that are easily confused.

[Zdrak]

I'm amazed no one mentioned Aeon Flux yet.